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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843361">A Guide to the Abnormal: Interdimensional Travel, Magic &amp; the Supernatural</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stella_Luna_13/pseuds/Stella_Luna_13'>Stella_Luna_13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Antisepticeye Sean McLoughlin, Darkiplier Mark Fischbach, Demons, Ethan Nestor Egos, Gen, Magic, Mark Fischbach Egos, No I dont know what this is, Sean McLoughlin Egos, Superpowers, The egos get sent to our world</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:20:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27843361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stella_Luna_13/pseuds/Stella_Luna_13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which a number of egos fall into a world similar to our own. They don't know how nor why it happened and have no means of getting home. Luckily, they have y/n to help them navigate the unfamiliar world. But with a number of strange occurrences, the city in which they found themselves, and y/n themself, may not be as they seem.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Nestor &amp; You, Mark Fischbach &amp; You, Sean McLoughlin &amp; You</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. So It Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dark, Anti and Blank were many things. They were egos. They were demons. They were cruel. They were bloodthirsty. They were confused.</p><p>Dark had been seated in his office, arms folded against the cool wood of his desk, eyes shut as he plotted his newest revenge against Mark. With every failed plan he felt his rage, the ever-burning vitriol deep in his gut, grow stronger. He was determined that this one would work. It had to. This would be his best plan yet. It needed to be perfect.</p><p>Anti had been throwing a slew of knives at the picture of Sean, or Jack as he was perhaps best known, taped to the wall. Not that it really mattered what people knew him as. The photograph was so marred, pierced by a myriad of blades, that the face was unrecognizable. Anti could have gotten a new picture, but it felt all the more satisfying to continue to disfigure the already shredded image. Just thinking about replacing it, having to look at Sean's face, unmarked, smiling, made his skin crawl with disgust.</p><p>Blank, admittedly, hadn't been doing much. He had managed to slip away from the hectic manor in which the egos resided to get some peace and quiet. Such a thing was so rare when living with so many. Especially when each one was crazier than the next. Sometimes Blank found himself wondering if he'd be better living with the Septics rather than his current place with the Ipliers. They all seemed pretty normal. Then again, anyone would seem normal when compared to the likes of Wilford. Blank had sighed, shaking his head. He wasn't going to waste his limited tranquillity worrying. He had turned his head up to the sky, admiring the grey clouds. Most would find the day to be dreary but he found it calming. The ways in which the different monotone shades and textures blended together reminded him of a fluffy dog. He'd met a dog once or twice, Ethan's. His name was Spencer if Blank could remember correctly. He felt a pang as he remembered how the dog had cowered away from him. Animals never did like Blank.</p><p>The next thing the three egos knew they were standing in the middle of the woods.</p><p>When the initial daze wore off Anti and Dark were at each other's throats immediately. Anti lunged forwards like an animal, wild and crazed. Dark's movements were more precise but no less dangerous. Blank scrambled back out of the way, watching the fight anxiously.</p><p>"What the hell?" Anti demanded, his voice crackling and wavering as his figure glitched. His eyes, one green with a blue pupil the other blue with a green pupil, the whites of each pitch black, seemed to glow.</p><p>"If it's a fight you wanted, there are other ways to gain my attention," Dark said, leaning away from Anti's blade. "Though I have other matters to attend to so I would appreciate it if we could wrap this up quick,"</p><p>"Don't try to pin this on me!" Anti snarled. "The fuck do you want from me you gobshite?"</p><p>"It was you who pulled me out here-"</p><p>"Like hell it was! I was minding my own business and then, I'm in the middle of fuckin' nowhere with nothing but your sorry ass for company!"</p><p>Dark paused, catching Anti's hand by the wrist. He fixed the glitch with a hard stare, brows furrowed pensively. "You didn't call me here?"</p><p>"Of course I didn't," Anti said, tearing his arm free. He watched cautiously as the other ego took a step back, humming lowly as he began to pace. Anti frowned at Dark's odd behaviour. "Thought it was you,"</p><p>"What reason could I possibly have for that?"</p><p>"I don't fuckin' know, you tell me!"</p><p>"I did not summon you here," Dark said. His voice deepened as his outline flashed red and blue, a high pitched noise ringing in the air around them. He took a deep breath and uncurled his fists, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle from his suit jacket. His aura flickered into nothing and the ringing faded to nothing. By the time he spoke again, his voice was softer. "I don't know where here is,"</p><p>"That makes two of us," Anti grumbled. The blade in his hand disappeared in a cloud of glitches, but his defensive posture didn't falter. He turned to Blank, eyes narrowed. "Did you bring us here?"</p><p>"No! I swear it wasn't me!" Blank exclaimed. He cringed at the way his voice cracked and wavered. He never was good at speaking. He looked down at his ghostly hands, cracking his knuckles. A nervous habit he'd never been able to shake. "I was on the manor grounds. By-by the lake! And now I'm here. I swear I-I don't know what's going on!"</p><p>"None the matter. If there is nothing you need me for, I shall take my leave," Dark declared. "Blank,"</p><p>The pale, blue-haired entity was quick to scurry to his side. He kept his gaze to the ground and resisted the urge to flinch as the taller demon placed a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>Black, fog-like energy began to grow around the pair. It waved around them as if moved by an unseen current. Small, shadowy tendrils wrapped around them, obscuring them from sight. The darkness receded, small whisps floating up like smoke in the wind.</p><p>Dark blinked. He was still in the woods. Blank stepped away from him, black eyes wide in surprise.</p><p>"Having trouble with your powers there Darky?" Dark clenched his jaw at Anti's teasing tone. It was clear that the green-haired demon was enjoying Dark's slip up. His laughter echoed through the trees, the pitch changing uncontrollably. His grin was crazed as he met Dark's gaze. "Mine are working splendidly. I shall take my leave. See you never!"</p><p>The glitches that flickered around him multiplied quickly. The blue, green and black pixels flickering as they appeared. The air crackled with static, the noise growing as the energy grew. Then silence fell across the woods once more.</p><p>"Ha! Wonder how long-" Anti's words died on his lips as he realized that the scenery hadn't changed. He turned to Dark who was staring at him with a mix of contempt and barely noticeable surprise. "What the fuck?"</p><p>"It seems my abilities aren't the only ones that aren't working," He said, lips quirked up into a smug smirk.</p><p>"Shut up!" Anti hissed. He shut his eyes as he tried again. When they didn't work, he tried again. And again. And Again. On his seventh try, Dark stopped him.</p><p>"Clearly this isn't working. There must be some force at play keeping us from teleporting. Our other abilities seem to be working fine," as if to test the theory, he swung his arm at a nearby elm. The dark energy lashed out and split the trunk. His frown deepened. His jaw set and he looked hesitant as he continued, "It seems, that it may be in our best interests to work together for the time being,"</p><p>"Work with you?" Anti barked a laugh. "Not a chance in hell,"</p><p>"I don't like it any more than you do," Dark said. "But we don't know what happened, nor where we are. These woods could go on for miles. Night is going to fall soon. What other choice do you have? Walking aimlessly until you find something in a stroke of dumb luck? It could take months,"</p><p>Anti set his jaw. He hated to admit it but Dark had a point. The faster he could get out of here the faster he could kill Sean. A static groan echoed in his chest. "Fine. But I'm in charge,"</p><p>"Absolutely not. I'm in charge,"</p><p>"Are not,"</p><p>"Are too,"</p><p>Blank sighed as he trailed behind them, turning his gaze up to the clear blue sky. Why did this sort of thing have to happen to him?</p><p>***</p><p>"Are not,"</p><p>"Are too,"</p><p>"Are not,"</p><p>"Are too,"</p><p>Deep down Dark knew that this was beneath him. The childish bickering was getting him nowhere. But he found himself unable to stop, Anti brought out the worst in him. As much as Dark would never admit to it he and Mark did have something in common. Both were very competitive and could be stubborn and bull-headed. He was not going to back down without a fight.</p><p>And it seemed for a moment that a fight would be exactly where their petty arguing would lead. But then Anti paused, his 'are not' dropping away as he stared through the trees.</p><p>"A path!"</p><p>Dark blinked and the next thing he knew the green-haired demon was gone, a cloud of pixels in his place. He turned his gaze to the aforementioned path and his brows raised at the sight of Anti grinning back at him. Dark set his jaw and focused on his own energy. He stepped out of the darkness and onto the sidewalk. He noticed Blank reappear in the corner of his eye. The blue-haired demon seemed disoriented, looking around in disbelief.</p><p>"Is it over then?" he asked, more to himself than to Anti. He called upon his powers, imagining his office, willing for reality to warp around him. He groaned. Nothing. "It seems that our abilities have been dulled, rather than blocked,"</p><p>"Whoop-dee-fucking-doo," Anti grumbled, throwing his hands in the air. "We're still stuck here. Wherever the hell here is,"</p><p>"We might as well follow the path. Surely it must lead to something, eventually," Dark said. He didn't bother waiting for Anti's response and frankly, he didn't even care if the other ego followed. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stalked down the worn trail, dust flying up from the hard ground soiling his shoes and the ends of his dress pants. His lip curled up in distaste. The faster he could get out of those God-forsaken woods the better.</p><p>There was a crackle in the air next to him and suddenly Anti was walking on his left keeping as much space between them as the path would allow. Neither of them looked at each other. Neither of them spoke. Their mutual frustration with the situation put a temporary end to the animosity between them. They just wanted out of the stupid forest, they could get back to killing each other when they did.</p><p>Dark wasn't sure how long they'd walked for. The trees' branches arching high overhead blocked the sun. Its light filtered through the leaves, dappling on the forest floor. But without seeing its position in the sky the sun was worthless to Dark. If he were to guess though, he would say it had been a bit over an hour but none more than two.</p><p>In short, they had been walking for far, far too long.</p><p>Anti stopped suddenly, looking alert and Blank just barely avoided crashing into him. Dark opened his mouth to inquire as to why but the green-haired demon waved a hand in the air and Dark halted. Though no words were spoken the meaning was clear, not a sound.</p><p>Dark watched, intrigued, as Anti tilted his head to the side, mismatched eyes narrowing as he focused. One of his long, pointed ears twitched slightly and Anti spun towards a small split in the path almost entirely obstructed by the thick bramble that encroached it on either side. If it weren't for his attention being called to it Dark probably would have overlooked it completely. Perhaps Anti was good for something after all.</p><p>Or perhaps I was right all along and he truly is nothing but a short-tempered fool, Dark thought to himself as he watched the ego struggle to force his way through the brush. He rolled his eyes, placed a hand on Blank's shoulder, and let the shadows whisk them away, reappearing on the other side of the bush Dark fixed Anti with a pointed stare.</p><p>"Shut up," he grumbled, ears pinning back slightly in what might have been anger or embarrassment.</p><p>Dark had never thought that Anti's ears served any purpose other than opening him up to a line of elf-themed insults and nicknames. But he supposed it would make sense that they would improve his hearing. He wondered if any of Anti's other senses were heightened.</p><p>He shook his head, now was not the time to dwell upon such things.</p><p>"I didn't say anything," Dark said, hands raised as if in surrender.</p><p>Anti grumbled something Dark didn't quite catch before heading off through the trees. He waved for Dark to follow him rolling his eyes at his questioning stare. "There's someone over here. Figure we can catch up to 'em and ask them where the fuck we are. If that's alright with you, your highness,"</p><p>Dark made the executive decision to ignore the venom that dripped from his words. Instead, he gestured for Anti to continue. "By all means, lead the way,"</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Anti could tell that Dark was getting impatient. Faint, almost hologram-like projections split away from the ego. Some were screaming, others smirking. Anti thought he saw one crying but it was gone before he could be sure. The ringing was back too. The constant noise doing nothing to help Anti track down the person he'd heard before. His ears were beginning to hurt and he wouldn't be surprised if he were to discover they were bleeding.</p><p>"Are you sure you heard something over here?" Dark asked.</p><p>Anti couldn't help but roll his eyes. Of course, the first words would Dark utter since Anti had begun tracking the presence amidst the trees would be to question his skills.</p><p>"Yes I'm sure," Anti growled. He raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, lip curling up to show the hints of his fangs which were bared in his frustration. He waved his hand In Dark's direction. "Just keep the fucking ringing to a minimum. I can hardly hear myself think,"</p><p>Silence fell over them once again.</p><p>True silence, Anti realized with a hushed sigh. Dark had done as he'd asked and now the only noise were those of the leaves blowing gently in the breeze, gentle birdsong and the flutter of wings and the heavy footsteps of two demons against the forest floor.</p><p>Anti nearly cried out in relief as he caught a glimpse of a humanoid form through the trees. He quickened his pace before deciding against walking altogether. He broke down a flurry of pixels, reappearing behind them with a wide grin.</p><p>Dark and Blank materialized at his side a few moments later. The two egos had changed to a form that was distinctly more human and Anti realized that he should probably do the same. His ears shrunk down and his eyes shifted. They retained their heterochromatic nature but the pupils turned black and the scleras to white.</p><p>A stick broke under Anti's boot as he stepped forwards. The figure spun around with a startled noise, arms raised defensively.</p><p>They weren’t exactly short but they couldn’t be described as tall either. If they stood next to Blank and the blue-haired demon stood up straight for once in his life, the stranger would be just a hair taller. </p><p>But Anti really didn't give a fuck. All he wanted was to get out of the woods and away from Dark.</p><p>Upon realizing that the sound had been caused by three men, who definitely hadn't been there a moment before, the stranger jumped again. They scrambled away from the trio, e/c eyes wide as they looked between them. They were so focused on keeping the strangers in their line of sight that they failed to notice the tree root protruding from the ground behind them.</p><p>"Fuck," they wheezed as they crashed to the ground.</p><p>Anti winced as he watched their head snap back, slamming against a rock. That was going to leave a mark.</p><p>"Apologies," said Dark, offering a soft, comforting smile as he took a step toward the stranger. "It was not our intent to frighten you,"</p><p>They blew a strand of h/c hair from their face and stared at the offered hand hesitantly. They sighed heavily before clasping it in their own and allowing Dark to haul them to their feet. They let their hands fall from his, bringing it up to rub the spot they'd hit. "It's fine,"</p><p>"Where the fuck are we?" Anti asked.</p><p>"Forgive his brashness," Dark said. "We have been lost, wandering these woods for quite some time now. You wouldn't happen to know the way out..."</p><p>The question hung in the air for a few moments and the egos waited with bated breath.</p><p>"Oh, yeah of course," they said. They shook their head as if clearing it, blinking heavily. They stuffed their hands in their pockets and shuffled around them. "It shouldn't be long,"</p><p>"Thanks a bunch, lass," Anti beamed as he dashed to catch up. "You're a life saver,"</p><p>"Indeed," Dark hummed. "Who's to say how much longer we'd have been searching if it weren't for you, miss..."</p><p>They hesitated a moment longer before replying. "River,"</p><p>It was a lie, a good one. If it weren't for the fact that Blank, Anti and Dark were demons, if it weren't for the fact that they dealt with lies and deceptions, they would have believed them. But, they were and they did.</p><p>Blank and Anti exchanged a glance but shrugged. It didn't matter what their name was as long as they could get them out.</p><p>And get them out they did.</p><p>It took maybe fifteen minutes before they made it out of the bushes and worn paths onto an actually paved sidewalk. They followed it for maybe ten more before they came to a stop. The path split off to the left and right and a busy road lay before them.</p><p>"Welp, here you are," said 'River'.</p><p>"Where are we?" Anti asked.</p><p>"This is Stewarts Street,"</p><p>"No, where are we specifically? Which State?"</p><p>They frowned. "Province,"</p><p>Anti blinked. "What?"</p><p>"You mean province. This is Canada, after all," they said. They cast them a wary glance and put more space between them. "You do know you're in Canada, right?"</p><p>"Of course, we do. My friend here has a habit of moving regularly. Sometimes he gets confused," Dark was quick to reply.</p><p>Anti's eye twitched as he forced the growl in his throat to morph into an awkward chuckle. He was going to murder Dark. Frankly, he was surprised he'd managed so long without it.</p><p>'River' nodded, the glint in their eye telling Dark that they were far from convinced. But they didn't press any further. Their gaze flickered up and down the street for a moment before they clapped their hands and turned on her heel. They walked back down the path into the woods, calling back to the egos over their shoulder. "Well, I'm out. Good luck getting where ever it is you're going,"</p><p>If they bothered to reply 'River', or as they were actually known, y/n, couldn't care less. The group of men had been odd, they had a sort of presence about them that unsettled them.</p><p>It was difficult to explain.</p><p>The atmosphere that surrounded them felt heavy and dead, almost suffocating.</p><p>Whenever the green-haired one, they never did get their names, got too close their hair would stand on end. It was like the space around him was charged with electricity. Not to mention that sometimes his form would flicker as if he were but a projection on a computer screen. It never happened when they were looking at him but they would catch it from the corner of their eye.</p><p>The shortest of the trio had been quiet. In fact, he hadn't uttered a word the entire time. He seemed anxious, chewing at his lip and playing with the ends of his sweater. He was very pale, with the faintest splash of freckles decorating his face. His entire figure seemed dull like it had been drained of pigment. Even his hair, which was dyed, seemed more grey than blue. Everything about him felt lifeless and sad.</p><p>The taller one wasn't without his eccentricities either. While he was pleasant and seemed more than happy to carry a polite conversation with them, sometimes the space around him seemed distorted. It would flash blue or red, sometimes even black. But the colour was gone in the blink of an eye.</p><p>"You're just tired," y/n muttered to themself as they walked deeper into the woods. "You're tired and you're seeing things as a result,"</p><p>But deep down they knew that wasn't true. There had indeed been something off about those two men. If only they knew what.</p><p>***</p><p>Y/n's book lay on the bed next to them, forgotten. Their breathing stilled, eyes wide and alert. There was someone in their house.</p><p>They slipped free of their bed, socked feet touching down on the floor without a sound. Their hands brushed against cool metal and they reached down under their bed, wrapping their fingers against the broken curtain rod they'd never bothered to throw away even after they got it replaced.</p><p>They slunk through the halls, their hold on their weapon so strong that their knuckles turned white.</p><p>A low creak.</p><p>Y/n's gaze snapped to the living room as their grip tightened still. They crept towards it, their heart lodged in their throat. This wasn't something that should happen to them in real life. This was something that happened in B-movies and crappy fanfictions.</p><p>A flash of movement to their left. A mass of shadows darker than the rest.</p><p>Y/n screamed.</p><p>They swung blindly into the darkness, ready to beat someone's skull in. The curtain rod stopped dead in its tracks and y/n nearly screamed again at the feel of cold skin against theirs. Before they could even register what was happening, the staff was torn from their hands and they were knocked to the floor.</p><p>"Let's not have any of that," said the figure, who now loomed above them, narrowed eyes gleaming in the pale moonlight drifting in through the curtains. Their voice was deep, definitely male. But it seemed almost layered and it felt like it was reverberating through y/n's skull, shaking them to their very core.</p><p>Y/n didn't dare look away from the man as they scrambled back, clamouring to their feet. They continued to inch away from him only stopping once their back hit something solid. The kitchen counter. They cursed.</p><p>The unknown figure had continued his approach, still concealed by the shadows that surrounded them. But if the dark chuckles echoing throughout the room were any hint, he was enjoying y/n's panic.</p><p>They were glancing around frantically, trying to find something, anything that could help them. A metallic glint caught their attention from the corner of their eye. The knife block sat on the counter, maybe an arm's length away.</p><p>Y/n didn't stop to think about what they were doing as they lunged. They rolled over the countertop, managing to grab three knives from the block. Their feet touched down rather clumsily and they felt a spike of pain flare in their ankle as it rolled. But they didn't give themself time to dwell on that.</p><p>They threw a knife over the counter, not stopping to see if it hit its mark before they took off. Their socks slid against the hardwood floor and they were left momentarily winded as they slammed into a wall, one of the remaining blades almost falling from their hand. They shook their head as if to clear it and turned their attention to the door at the end of the hall. They could make it.</p><p>A blur of blue and green light appeared in front of the door and suddenly there was another figure blocking their way. This one was different from the first, a little shorter and not quite as stocky. It blinked up at them, eyes glowing in the dark.</p><p>Y/n glanced behind them to see that the other intruder had taken up the rear. They were trapped.</p><p>Fuck, fuck, fuck...</p><p>They tightened their grip on the knives, glancing frantically between the two. It was only when a hand touched down on their shoulder that they moved. They missed with the first swing, the blade cutting through the air with a quiet whoosh. The second blade met some resistance and y/n had to exert some force to tear it free, bringing it up in a wide ark. Something warm splattered against them as the knife tore through flesh and scraped against bone.</p><p>Y/n had no time to revel in their success as they were thrown and consequently pinned to the ground.</p><p>"I said none of that," the man on top of them growled. "This would be much easier for everyone involved if you ceased your struggling,"</p><p>Y/n struggled harder at his words, scratching, and clawing in an attempt to break free of his grasp. They managed to free an arm and elbow the man in the face. But he merely caught their arm and pinned it down next to their head. Y/n grunted as he put more weight on them, stopping their flailing as they felt the air get forced out of their lungs.</p><p>"What do you want from me?" They wheezed their voice surprisingly even despite the fear coursing through their veins. "Why are you doing this? Who the hell are you?"</p><p>"Don't you recognize us, lass?" The shorter man asked as he stepped closer to them. He stared down at them, head cocked to the side glowing eyes narrowed skeptically. Y/n could just barely see him raise his arm in the faint moonlight. He snapped his fingers and suddenly the lights flickered on and the hallway was flooded with light.</p><p>Y/n felt their blood freeze. They weren't human. They didn't know what they were but there was no way they were human.</p><p>The man, could he even be called that? who stood above them was pale, sickly so. His pointed ears reminded y/n of an elf's, but that was where the similarities ended. His smile was too wide, manic even, his canines which were more akin to fangs gleamed dangerously. His hair, an unruly mop of green curls, the shade ranging from a vivid electric tone to a deep evergreen, fell into his face giving him an almost windblown appearance.</p><p>His eyes were startling. The scleras were pitch black, and his eyes, one blue the other green, seemed to emit a bright light. His pupils, which were narrow slits, glowed as well but not quite as bright. However, the most disturbing thing about his appearance was the deep gash that ran across his neck. It oozed what y/n assumed to be blood, thick rivets dripping down to his collarbone and soaking into his black shirt.</p><p>His entire being seemed to glitch, flickering in and out of sight as he stared deep into their eyes. The gash on his arm from where they'd cut him was obscured by pixels. Y/n watched the pixels flicker away to show the wound closing on its own, not even scaring his pale skin.</p><p>Y/n strained their neck to stare at the man pinning them down. His skin was a muted grey and ice cold to the touch. His eyes were almost completely black save for the rings that floated in the center of the obsidian pools. They weren't quite sure of their colour, they seemed to shift with each passing second. A striking red one moment and a vivid blue the next. The same colours outlined him, standing out against his crisp black suit.</p><p>His dark locks were messy, but in a way that seemed professional and put-together. As if he'd styled it like that. He was certainly bigger than his grinning companion, with broad shoulders and muscled arms. In lieu of fingernails, he had short, black claws. They were no longer than those of a cat, but y/n's wrists still stung from where they broke the skin on their wrists.</p><p>Reality seemed to warp around him, much as it did with his glitching partner. Shadows bent around him, swirling like a violent storm. Red and blue copies of him would shimmer into existence from time to time. One was calm, leaning against the wall hands balled in its pockets as it stared y/n down. Another was bent over, hands knotted in its hair, mouth open in a silent scream. One was fixing the cuffs of its shirt, suit and hands stained with blood.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting two - two... whatever the fuck it is that you are," y/n said, their shoulders tense.</p><p>The pair exchanged glances, holding a silent conversation. They both nodded as if in agreement, their discourse seemingly over. There was a hum in the air as their forms changed, their auras vanishing. There before y/n stood two men, vaguely familiar ones at that.</p><p>"From the forest...?" they muttered, brows furrowing in their confusion.</p><p>"Bingo!" The green-haired man said, his voice crackling like static as he beamed. His grin hadn't faltered, but it was less off-putting now that he appeared human.</p><p>"If I let you up, will you run?" The silence hung heavy in the air as the man on top of them awaited their response. When they didn't make a move to speak, his grip on their wrists tightened, claws digging in deeper as he repeated himself in a low growl, "Will you run?"</p><p>"No! No, I won't. Jesus," y/n spat, shaking their head the best they could. They took in a deep gasping breath as the man rose, fighting back the urge to cough. He extended a hand towards them in offering but they ignored it, climbing to shaky feet and pressing their back against the wall as they eyed the two warily. "What do you want? And weren't there three of you?"</p><p>They nearly screamed when the third figure literally appeared out of nowhere. Thick oily tendrils grew from the ground, forming the colourless man from before. He looked sheepish as he offered them a small wave. Upon seeing their expression he shrunk back and turned his gaze to the floor. At least he seemed human in appearance. Y/n didn't think they could handle seeing another demonic entity.</p><p>"What do you want?" They repeated once their heartbeat stilled. Their eyes were narrowed as they spoke, each syllable emphasized. The demons exchanged another glance. The dark-haired one dipped his head in the slightest of nods.</p><p>The green-haired one shrugged lazily and turned to y/n, holding their gaze with an almost bored expression. "We need your help,"</p><p>They nodded once, nose curling in a silent scoff. "Well, that answers everything. Thanks for that,"</p><p>"What he means to say is that we have found ourselves in a bit of a-" the taller man trailed off as if searching for the right word to describe the situation, "-predicament. As you have surely noticed, we are not human. Rather we're demons,"</p><p>It fell silent as he stared at y/n expectantly. He tilted his head ever so slightly, waiting for a reaction. For them to deny his claim. For them to break down in tears. For them to beg and plead for them to let them live.</p><p>But they did none of those things.</p><p>Instead, y/n held his gaze, brows raised impatiently as they waved for him to continue. Though they didn't utter any words their expression, laced with a patronizing sarcasm, got their message across. Congratulations. Now, why the fuck are you here?</p><p>"You see, we were each tending to our own affairs when we were suddenly transported into the midst of the woods in which we met you. Though our abilities are intact we find ourselves unable to return home for reasons still unknown,"</p><p>"And how exactly can I help you? I don't know shit about whatever the fuck is going on." y/n said. "You're the demons here, right? Shouldn't you be the ones with all the answers?"</p><p>"We aren't asking your assistance in solving the problem,"</p><p>They threw their hands up in the air exasperatedly. "Then what do you need me for?"</p><p>"Well lass, as we're not quite sure where we are nor how to get back we're going to need a place to crash,"</p><p>"I'm sorry what?" they asked. They brought their hands up, gesturing pointedly as they spoke. "You break into my house in the middle of the night to ask if you can stay with me? Who the fuck does that?"</p><p>"Oh no, you're not understanding me, sweetheart," The green-haired demon chuckled, tucking a lock of hair behind y/n's ear as he offered their a grin that dripped with an unsettling mix of mischief and malice. "We're not asking you. We're telling you. We're staying as long as it takes for us to get back home, we're going to be roomies. All four of us- isn't that exciting?"</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Y/n stood motionless, unblinking, as they met the glitching demon's gaze. Their e/c eyes cold, barren of emotions. They turned away suddenly, almost knocking into him as they stalked down the hall towards the kitchen, not giving either of the other demons a second glance as they brushed past them.</p><p>"I'm too fucking sober for this,"</p><p>They dug through a few cabinets before they found what they were looking for, slamming the wooden door shut with a sigh. Y/n turned their attention back to the demons who had followed them into the room, their expression unreadable as they flicked the cap off of the bottle of vodka. They only broke eye contact as they brought the neck to their lips, downing a quarter of its contents in one go.</p><p>They slammed the bottle down on the counter so fast it was a miracle it didn't shatter. Bringing a hand up to card through their hair they asked, "I really don't have a say in the matter, do I?"</p><p>"Not if you want to keep breathing, no,"</p><p>They paused for a moment, head tilted to the side as if they were considering that option. An inaudible curse fell from their lips as they brought the bottle back up and took another swig. "Do I at least get to know who you are?"</p><p>The green-haired demon grinned, dropping into a dramatic bow. </p><p>"Antisepticeye's the name, murder's the game. And this sorry sack of shit is Darkiplier. The sad bitch in the corner is Blank, Blankgameplays. Perhaps you've heard of us?"</p><p>The taller of the three, Darkiplier, growled lowly and took a step towards his companion. Anti merely giggled, dissolving into a mass of pixels and reappearing at y/n's side.</p><p>"Antisepticeye and Darkiplier? Blank?" They echoed under their breath, the names feeling odd as they slipped off their tongue. They glanced between the two curiously, their eyes narrowed. "Like the egos?"</p><p>"Ding ding ding!" Anti cheered. "Aren't you a clever one?"</p><p>"But you're not real. You're just characters that-"</p><p>"Don't say their names!" Anti all but hissed, his glitches becoming more violent as he seethed. Y/n held their hands up as if in surrender, brows raised.</p><p>"You know our names, would you be so kind as to tell us yours?" Dark asked. "The truth would be preferred this time,"</p><p>They hesitated for a moment before replying. "Y/n,"</p><p>A heavy silence fell over them, weighing down on their shoulders.</p><p>Y/n was the one to break it, hopping up to sit cross-legged on the counter. They gestured vaguely towards Dark and Anti with the bottle in their hand. Their head was cocked to the side, eyes narrowed inquisitively as they spoke, "Tell me what happened again. From the beginning, as many details as you can remember,"</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Y/n listened attentively, nodding along as the two demons reiterated their days' events. Though they did seem annoyed to be repeating themselves it seemed that recalling the day was helping them to remember smaller details they had omitted the first time around. Once they had finished their tale y/n hummed, pursing their lips. Their e/c eyes were flooded with unspoken thoughts and a myriad of jumbled theories that were just beginning to coalesce.</p><p>"What're you thinking about?" Anti asked curiously.</p><p>They stared into space for a moment before meeting his gaze. "Have you tried to teleport anywhere that wasn't your respected homes? Like, Paris or...I don't know, uh, Antarctica?"</p><p>Dark huffed, dragging a hand down his face in his frustration. "How many times must I explain it? We can no longer teleport long distances,"</p><p>They shook their head. "No, you said you can't get back to your homes there's a difference,"</p><p>Dark hummed and raised a questioning brow, signalling for them to continue. Y/n let out a long breath through their nose before asking, "What if you're not from this world?"</p><p>"Have all those hits to the head finally gotten to you?" Anti asked.</p><p>"No, no, no, think about it!" they said, slipping off of the counter as they began to pace. "You guys aren't real, right? At least, not in this world. To the people here you're just characters created and played out by... them-" They said 'them' hesitantly, "-if you don't exist in this world but somehow managed to get here there'd be no way to get back to your respective homes as much like you- they don't exist!"</p><p>"Don't be fucking ridiculous," Anti snapped. "I exist- I'm right fucking here! How could I be here if I didn't?"</p><p>"I don't know but-"</p><p>"I'll prove it! Chase will set this straight," he declared, procuring a sleek black phone from a glimmering cloud of pixels. He dialled a number, fingers flying across the keypad. He set it on speaker. No one said anything as they listened to it ring.</p><p>It cut off in the middle of the seventh ring, the automated message deafening in the silent room. "The number you are trying to reach does not exist. Please re-dial and try again,"</p><p>And so Anti redialed. Again and again. Giving up on Chase he tried Marvin, then Jackieboy. But the results were all the same.</p><p>A loud, glitching, growl rumbled from the back of his throat as he threw his phone down in defeat. "Fuck"</p><p>There was a swirl of shadows as Dark vanished. He reappeared less than a minute later his dark hair caked with snow. The tips of his nose and ears, bitten pink by the cold.</p><p>Anti frowned before he disappeared in a flurry of pixels. It took a little longer for him to come back than it did for Dark. But when he did he was clutching a handful of postcards in his hands. He threw them to the counter and they all stared at them, looking to see the names of the countries. Greece. Australia. Ireland. Laos.</p><p>Blank, upon realizing what this meant, let out a deep shuddering breath. "Fuck,"</p><p>Y/n raised a brow, that was the first time they'd heard him speak.</p><p>Blank vanished, dissolving into a black, tar-like substance. When he returned he looked panicked. Eyes wide, skin pale, hands trembling slightly at his sides.</p><p>"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," he muttered. His entire figure shook uncontrollably as he began to pace. Dark, oily, tears welled in his eyes. They slid down his cheeks and dripped to the floor.</p><p>His power flared out into the room, affecting its contents. The lights began to hum loudly as they glowed brighter and brighter to the point that they became blinding as they flickered on and off violently. The temperature of the room dropped considerably. Frost began to spread on the windows and countertops.</p><p>Y/n's breath came out in a white cloud. Their knees almost buckled as an overwhelming mix of emotions washed over them. Anxiety. Desperation. Anger. There were so many it was impossible to name them all. The most poignant however was despair. A crushing sense of hopelessness, that seemed to suck the life right out of their soul. They thought they could hear someone curse, Anti maybe, and they saw Dark brace himself against the wall in the corner of their eye.</p><p>Y/n didn't even realize they'd crossed the room until they had Blank's face held between their quivering hands. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, just-"</p><p>A pained cry was torn from their lips as he grabbed them by the wrists. His grip was vice-like. It felt like pure ice was flowing through their veins. Their entire body froze, muscles tensing as the cold travelled through them.</p><p>Blank looked down, meeting their gaze. His eyes, which were flickering between demonic and human, were wide and feral.</p><p>His mouth dropped open in a high pitched scream. Y/n tensed, their eyes widening significantly. The pain that washed over them was debilitating. They felt something warm begin to trickle from their nose and ears. They had no doubts that it was blood.</p><p>Y/n grit their teeth and bit into their cheek to ground themself. They reached back up, arms trembling as they cupped his cheek. Their other hand carded through his muted teal locks, brushing the matted curls back. Their voice shook as they spoke, gentle reassurances and kind words, uttered in a hushed tone.</p><p>Blank blinked suddenly and shook his head. He drew in a deep shuddering breath and screwed his eyes shut. Everything came to a sudden stop. The emotions receded and the temperature returned to normal. Aside from the frost that now coated the room, everything was as it was before.</p><p>Y/n staggered back, letting their arms fall away from him. They braced themself on the counter, their legs too weak to support them. They kept twitching, small ticks as they felt the warmth return to them. Their breathing was shallow and uneven as they dropped their face to their folded arms.</p><p>They pulled themself up, their voice weak and shaking as they asked, "You okay?"</p><p>He nodded. "Y-yeah. It's a lot to take in,"</p><p>"It is, isn't it?" they said, humming their agreement. They winced as they lifted a hand to brush some hair from their face.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Dark asked, making his presence known for the first time since Blank had returned. "There's a reason I didn't step in. When Blank gets emotional his abilities intensify significantly and spiral out of control,"</p><p>"Yeah, no shit," y/n wheezed. "Jesus Christ,"</p><p>They flashed Anti a glare, his cackling felt like a nail being driven into their skull. The green-haired demon's grin grew and he only laughed louder.</p><p>Blank flinched. "Sorry,"</p><p>"Don't worry about it," they said, wiping away the blood with the back of their hand. "I'm more upset about the ice than anything. When it melts it gonna be a right bitch to clean up,"</p><p>Dark flicked his wrist and y/n watched, amazed, as the frost marks faded away into nothing.</p><p>"Dang," they said, whistling lowly. "Maybe it won't be so bad having you around after all,"</p><p>The lights, which were still glowing brighter than normal, exploded outwards, sending shards of glass raining down.</p><p>Y/n flicked a piece of glass from the sleeve of their hoodie, a blank expression on their face.</p><p>"Nevermind,"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry, this took so long. I'm trying to figure out the pacing and general plot to ensure that it makes sense. Also, apologies that this chapter is a little dry. I wanted it to give proper exposition and better portray character behaviours but it fell flat. But it's also a school night and I've got to get up in four hours. So I'll come back to this later.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After y/n cleaned up the broken glass and poured the demons, who, apparently, were now their freeloading roommates, some drinks, the group made their way to the living room to further discuss their new arrangement. They were all spread out as far as they could, none of them wanting to be near the others. </p>
<p>For Dark and Anti, it was their mutual spite for one another. For Blank, it was a general sense of unease and discomfort and his ever-present anxiety. He never did do well in new situations and being in an entirely different world was about as new a situation as one could get. For y/n, it was their natural mistrust of others, especially strangers. Especially if those strangers were demons from another dimension who broke into their house in the dead of night.</p>
<p>They sat on a plush armchair, their back resting against one of the arms and their knees bent over the other as they continued to nurse their bottle of vodka. They watched Dark and Anti converse with a bored expression, e/c eyes flickering lazily between them.</p>
<p>They had already asked the brunt of their questions and were content enough with the answers. What continued to baffle them, however, was the demons’ revelations of their world. It seemed, for the most part, to be pretty similar to y/n’s own save for the presence of magic and sorcery as well as varying supernatural creatures.</p>
<p>Apparently, the creation of "egos" as they were known in their world, was rare but not unheard of. Humans, for the most part, were entirely unable to wield magic. But some were magically inclined, able to see through spells and sense supernatural presences. It was when these magically inclined people began to project or suppress aspects of themselves, or when people would dissect them and their actions, in a certain way that the egos would be formed.</p>
<p>The egos, being a product of untapped magic, were not bound by human conventions. Some could wield magic. Others could not. Some were human. Others were not.</p>
<p>Once split from their Original these egos were their own people with unique thoughts and abilities. The Original has no control over them whatsoever, a particularly tricky fact when the egos formed were malevolent or dangerous as, by law, the Original was held accountable for their actions.</p>
<p>The whole thing made y/n's head hurt. They didn't understand it one bit. </p>
<p>They shook their head, coming back to the present. They could figure all of that out later, at the moment they ought to focus on the literal demons in their living room.</p>
<p>"So what if the other Septics aren't here?" Dark said from his spot on the loveseat. "If anything I'd expect you to be glad to be rid of them,"</p>
<p>Anti, who lay splayed out across the couch, shot him an angry glare. "We may hate each other but that doesn't mean I want them gone,"</p>
<p>"You want to kill them,"</p>
<p>"I want to kill him!" Anti said, figure glitching as his voice raised in pitch. "Have I tried to kill them on multiple occasions? Yes. Do they want him alive, which is annoying as fuck and a huge pain in my ass? Yes. Do I care what happens to them in the slightest? Not one fuckin' bit! But they..."</p>
<p>He raked a hand through his hair, opening and closing his mouth as he searched for the right words. "They're a constant in my after-life. No matter how much I fucking hate it I can always count on them shoving their noses in places they don't belong. Now that they're gone..."</p>
<p>"The Ipliers are a part of my day-to-day life and I, for one, am glad to be free of them," Dark said. "The imbeciles can never get anything done. They do nothing but hold me back,"</p>
<p>"I understand what he’s trying to say," y/n said, craning their neck back to stare at the green-haired demon. "You don't need to like someone for them to be important in your life... Like politicians! We all hate them but the country is reliant upon them,"</p>
<p>Dark blinked at them, unimpressed. "That is the best example you could come up with?"</p>
<p>"Okay then, how's this? You hate Mark-" </p>
<p>The temperature of the room dropped at the mention of his name. The lights dimmed slightly and shadows began to creep out from the corners. Dark's form flickered, echoing outwards once and the room returned to normal.</p>
<p>"-you want him dead, correct?" y/n said, unperturbed by the show of power. They didn't bother waiting for an answer and even if they didn't know his motives, his reaction to Mark's name was answer enough. "How would you feel if he were to suddenly vanish without a trace and you never got your revenge?"</p>
<p>"That's entirely different," He replied. "Destroying that thing is my sole purpose-"</p>
<p>"Yes, yes, you're edgy I get it," they rolled their eyes. "But how would you feel? Would you not panic even a little? He's gone, now what do you do? What is your purpose?"</p>
<p>He paused a moment, considering their words. He shrugged, his gaze as cool as his voice. "Even still I would not respond in such a fashion. I would look at the situation objectively. To allow your emotions to influence you is childish and weak,"</p>
<p>Y/n saw Blank flinch from where he sat in the corner of the room. The demon pulled his knees closer to his chest, muted teal locks falling into his face.</p>
<p>“What are you trying to say?” Anti asked, his form flickering a little more violently.</p>
<p>“I needn’t say anything,” Dark said. “Your actions speak for themselves. You’ve allowed yourself to grow attached. You’ve allowed yourself to become weak,’</p>
<p>A staticky growl echoed throughout the room. The next thing y/n knew Anti had tackled Dark off of the couch and they were rolling around on the floor. The fight escalated quickly from there, becoming more violent and fierce as they let out a day's worth of pent-up aggression. They were snarling and hissing at each other in a language y/n didn't understand. It sounded ancient and evil, full of vitriol. Their words crackled like lightning and boomed like thunder and as they reverberated through the room it seemed to tremble and shake.</p>
<p>Y/n leapt from their chair as Dark was flung towards it. They winced as they watched it tip over, knocking over a small table that splintered into pieces.</p>
<p>Blank's movements were quick and silent as he moved from where he sat on the floor, placing himself between y/n and his fellow demons. Though he wasn't quite sure why. He wouldn't be able to do much to protect them. He still felt drained from earlier and even if his power wasn't depleted he wouldn't be able to go head to head with Dark nor with Anti. His abilities, while just as strong as theirs, didn't work the same.</p>
<p>Dark's abilities, for the most part, were manipulative. He had a silver tongue like no other and while he didn’t have outright Compulsion (such a power was so rare it was often considered fictional) his powers of suggestion made him infamous throughout the Void. Blank had never seen him use any of his other powers, not truly, but he’d heard of them. The shadows themselves bent to his will, giving him his namesake. He could enter people’s dreams, torturing them in an endless night until they were driven mad.</p>
<p>Anti was born and bred for the sole purpose of creating chaos. He was mainly technology-based, such a thing was accredited to his Original, Sean’s profession, able to use and manipulate any device however he saw fit. That’s not to say that he lacked any abilities that would do well in a fight. Blank didn’t know the extent of Anti’s abilities but he’d seen the glitch summon and control an array of daggers with nothing but a nod of his head or a wave of his hand. And if the passive energy the green-haired demon radiated meant anything it was that what Blank had seen just barely scratched the surface.</p>
<p>Blank... Blank's abilities weren’t anywhere near as flashy. They were primarily emotion-based. He could send emotions out or take them in. And he could scream really loud until his enemy’s skull exploded. But if he wasn’t aiming for skull explosions there wasn’t much he could do.</p>
<p>Blank was created by pent up feelings. All the sadness and anxiety his Original, Ethan, felt, pushed aside until they could be pushed down no longer. Those emotions found their escape in Blank. So while Ethan got to be happy, Blank felt nothing but a hollow, empty void in his gut. </p>
<p>At first he’d loathed Ethan for it, he’d set out to harm the boy. He was hellbent on stealing people’s happiness and keeping it for himself. But this stolen joy would only last so long. He’d given up on his endeavour soon after he’d been invited to live with the others. He didn’t want to hurt anyone. He had never wanted to hurt anyone. Yet somehow he always did.</p>
<p>Blank would never, could never, be happy, and that was okay. At least it would be if controlling his powers didn’t rely on him keeping calm and warding away negative emotions. He really had been dealt the short end of the stick.</p>
<p>Blank was torn from his thoughts as a burst of green energy lashed towards him, crackling violently. He fought the urge to become intangible as he flinched back, pulling y/n with him.</p>
<p>Y/n watched the fight from over his shoulder, their eyes wide. Dark and Anti were blocking the exit and they doubted that they could get around them without getting hurt in the collateral. It was only when they saw the telltale glint of a knife that they took action, taking a step closer, their arms waving nervously.</p>
<p>Y/n leapt back with a pained hiss as the blade sliced tore through skin. Their hand went to the wound, applying pressure and they tried not to panic as blood trickled from between their fingers. They ignored it for the time, focusing instead on how to break up the fight.</p>
<p>It was clear to them now that actually getting in between the two would end only in injury or death on their part. So they would need some form of outside influence. At least to distract them, if only for a moment. Y/n scrambled away from a stray tendril of shadows, staring at the hole it left in the wall upon impact. They grit their teeth. </p>
<p>That's it.</p>
<p>Y/n took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let out an ear-piercing scream. It was shrill and grating, more akin to a screech than anything. But it worked. The fighting demons were thrown off enough for y/n to approach. They looped their arms under Dark’s and pulled him to his feet and away from Anti. </p>
<p>"That's enough!" y/n snapped, shouldering her way between them. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside!"</p>
<p>Anti glowered and crossed his arms. "But-"</p>
<p>"No buts! If you're staying here, we're going to need some ground rules," they said. "First and foremost: No fighting inside. There's not going to be a house to stay in if you keep this up,"</p>
<p>“But-”</p>
<p>“I said no buts!” they exclaimed, hitting Anti upside the head. They did the same to Dark, his smug expression melting away to one of shock. The shock didn’t last long however, his eyes narrowed and jaw set as he growled. “My house my rules, bitches, you’re going to listen to me whether you like it or not,”</p>
<p>Dark straightened his suit with a huff. “Fine, what other rules did you have in mind?”</p>
<p>Y/n paused. “I don’t know, didn’t really think about that,”</p>
<p>“Then how the hell do we keep from breaking them?” Anti shouted.</p>
<p>“We can add to the list as we go,” they shrugged. “Like this: keep the shouting to the minimum, please. Not only is it way too early in the morning but Blank clearly doesn’t like it,”</p>
<p>“N-no it’s fine,” Blank said, waving his hands around.</p>
<p>“No it’s not,” y/n said. They paused for a moment as they thought. They raised a hand and began counting off her fingertips as she spoke: “Don’t break my stuff. If I tell you not to mess with something, don’t. You’ve got to pull your weight around here. You’re not seven and I’m not your mommy nor am I your daddy so I’ll be damned if you don’t work in some capacity,”</p>
<p>“Fine,” Dark said, though from his tone it was easy to tell he was less than enthused about that one. “What else?”</p>
<p>“I don’t really care what you do, just no illegal activity in the house. If you must commit felonies just make sure that they can't be connected to me in any way shape or form. And, please, if you're going to kill each other, at least have the decency to take it to the yard. Or at least away from my furniture,”</p>
<p>“Is that it?” Anti asked.</p>
<p>“Off the top of my head, yeah, unless there’s something you wanted to add?”</p>
<p>“Us?” Blank murmured.</p>
<p>“You guys live here too, whether I like it or not,” y/n said. “I’d be pretty mean not to let you have some say in what goes on here,”</p>
<p>“I’m sure we’ll all be able to think of something,” Dark said, dipping his head in the slightest of nods to signify his thanks. “But for now, we have more to discuss,”</p>
<p>“Like how the hell we got to this shit-stain of a world and how the hell we can get back,” Anti grumbled. He dropped back to the couch, glaring at nothing in particular as he twirled his knife.</p>
<p>“Okay, first of all, I take offence to that,” y/n said, raising a hand. “Yes, this place is terrible but you don’t have to call us out like that. Secondly, you said magic was a thing in your world? Wouldn’t that be the cause?”</p>
<p>“Wow, I can’t believe it! You’ve figured it out!” Anti exclaimed. He threw his hands into the air with a scoff, rolling his eyes. “Obviously it was fucking magic. But there’s more to it than that. We need to find the fuck who cast the damn spell, find out what spell it was they used and then”</p>
<p>“But wouldn't the person who cast it be from your world?” y/n asked, brows furrowed in their confusion. “How could you find them here?”</p>
<p>“When a spell of this calibre is cast, there’s always something that allows you to detect it,” Dark said. “If not something visible then something you can sense- the atmosphere quite literally changing as it becomes charged with excess energy,”</p>
<p>“But we didn’t sense anything before being sent over,” Blank explained, his voice wavering. “It just happened,”</p>
<p>“So someone from this side would have needed to cast the spell,”</p>
<p>Dark nodded. “Indeed, what do you know of the magic in this world?”</p>
<p>“From what I know, it’s purely fictional,” they said. “I’ve never heard of anything like this outside of fiction. Like, it could be a thing, but if it is I haven’t a clue where to start,”</p>
<p>Dark narrowed his eyes at them as if he didn’t quite believe their words. They met his gaze questioningly. He broke the stare with a low hum, black eyes scanning the room. “It seems this will take longer than I originally thought,”</p>
<p>Anti groaned. “Fan-fucking-tastic,”</p>
<p>“I’m not thrilled about the idea either Sparky,” y/n muttered. “But whining isn’t going to solve the problem,”</p>
<p>Anti’s shoulders visibly tensed as he turned to them almost robotically. His voice glitched as he growled through clenched teeth. “What did you call me?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m sorry,” their lips curled into a condescending smirk as she leaned closer to him. “Would you prefer Glitch Bitch?”</p>
<p>“I’m going to break your neck!” He snarled, appearing before her. His hands, which were reaching out towards them, glitched.  When the pixels dissipated his fingers had elongated into sharp talons.</p>
<p>“Okay,” y/n said. They leaned back, turning their gaze to the ceiling above them. “I mean, I thought that finding yourself in a strange new world, you’d find yourself in need of someone from said world. Someone with a place to stay, money, connections, not to mention knowledge of how the world works,”</p>
<p>Anti stalled, blinking slowly.</p>
<p>“But, if you figure you don’t need my help, by all means, go right on ahead,” Y/n waved their hand as if to say ‘go-ahead’ practically oozing with nonchalance.</p>
<p>“Sit down,” Dark commanded, his voice easily overpowering Blank’s. The blue-haired entity waved his hands about, tripping over his words as he tried to convince Anti to not end y/n’s life.</p>
<p>Anti’s eyes flashed brighter as his nostrils flared. He huffed as he dropped down to the couch, flipping the double bird to the entire room.</p>
<p>Y/n rolled their eyes. They were going to regret this, weren’t they?</p>
<p>Blank turned his gaze to the window, a silent gasp falling from his lips. “It’s morning,”</p>
<p>Y/n moved to stand next to him. Her lip curled up in distaste at the sight of the sun beginning to peek up over the treetops on the horizon. “Wonderful. Great, that’s great. This is great,” </p>
<p>They muttered as they yanked on the blinds’ cord. The blinds dropped with a clatter and the room darkened considerably. Anti’s eyes seemed to glow even brighter in the low light.</p>
<p>“Do I need to get you guys anything?” Y/n asked, e/c passing over the three egos. “Food? Clothes? Do you even need to eat? Like, you said you were demons so does that mean you’re dead or…?”</p>
<p>“We can eat but it’s not necessary. We don’t require sleep either,” Dark said. “And as for clothes, we could pull them from the Void but if magic doesn’t exist in your world such a thing could be dangerous so it would be best if we avoided it,”</p>
<p>“Why is that?”</p>
<p>Blank tugged down at the sleeves of his sweater. “When you access the void it's like opening a door. You can pull anything from it but sometimes other things will cross it as well,”</p>
<p>“And somehow I don’t think your world is ready for basilisks and chimeras and sphinxes and banshees and such,” Anti said. His eyes gleamed malevolently as he added: “It would be interesting to see though,”</p>
<p>“Tearing the world to shreds isn't going to help anyone,”</p>
<p>“No, but it’d be fun,”</p>
<p>“I’m not even going to question that,” y/n said, pinching the bridge of their nose. “Stores won’t be open for another couple of hours. I’ll come to get you,”</p>
<p>“The hell are we supposed to do until then?” Anti asked.</p>
<p>“Read a book, watch a movie, play in traffic, finger paint. I really couldn’t care less. I’ve got more important things to do than babysit,”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Y/n hummed as they moved through the aisles, scanning the shelves as they walked past. A bag full of clothes hung off their arm, the plastic handle digging into their skin. They had finished buying the demons all of their clothes, maybe a day or two’s worth, and had made a little detour to a bookstore.</p>
<p>They could see Dark from the corner of their eye, his back to them as he pulled a book from the shelf. He considered the cover before he turned it over, carefully reading the synopsis on the back. His head tilted to the side curiously as he began to thumb through it, a contemplative look on his face. He tucked it under his elbow before continuing to peruse the store.</p>
<p>Blank stood at y/n’s elbow, following close behind them. Every time they passed a new person he would shrink down, making himself smaller and looking to the floor. At once point the gentle radio had been interrupted by the crackling of the store's intercom as someone was called to cash. Blank had jumped higher than y/n thought possible, looking thoroughly spooked.</p>
<p>Anti had been complaining since he noticed where they were headed. But over time his whining had quieted to a low grumble as he stalked through the store, his arms crossed, glowering at anything that moved. At one point a child had bumped into him and he fixed them with a look so fierce they’d burst into tears. When their parents tried to confront him Anti had almost gotten into a physical altercation, snarling and spitting even as y/n dragged him away. </p>
<p>They kept their hand wrapped firmly around his wrist from them on. He had struggled, even going as far as to send out an electric shock but their grip didn’t lessen. They dragged him through the store as if he were an unruly child. Which, really wasn’t that far off.</p>
<p>Y/n crouched to pull a book from the bottom shelf, calling over her shoulder: “Dark?”</p>
<p>“Yes?” he hummed, turning to face her his hands clasped behind his back.</p>
<p>“You can pick out a couple if you’d like,” they said. They pulled a novel from the shelf and spun to their feet, holding it out for him to take. “If that book sounds interesting, you’ll like this one too,” </p>
<p>He took it from them, brow raised curiously.</p>
<p>“Wait, what?” Anti exclaimed, his flailing pausing for a moment. “How come Dark gets something and I don’t?”</p>
<p>“You can pick something out if you’d like,” y/n said. “But I get the feeling that you’re not the biggest fan of reading,”</p>
<p>“I can read!” he spat.</p>
<p>“I never said that you couldn’t. You just seem like the kind of person who doesn’t have the patience to sit for so many hours,” they released his wrist and lifted her hand in a halfhearted wave. “But by all means, if you see something you like, go ahead. You’ll need something to occupy your time,”</p>
<p>Anti had vanished through the shelves before they’d even finished their sentence. </p>
<p>Y/n rolled her eyes. “You can get something too, Blank,”</p>
<p>He blinked up at them, his mouth falling open in surprise. He nodded once before slipping away.</p>
<p>“You needn’t be so nice to us,” Dark’s voice startled y/n and they jumped. They forgot he was there. He had a new book in his hand, not looking up from it as he spoke. “We did force this upon you. Anti has threatened to kill you numerous times,”</p>
<p>They shrugged, sighing heavily through their nose as they leaned back against a shelf. “Believe me I know. But I feel like you’ve already been through a lot, if I suddenly appeared in a strange new world I’d have a panic attack and die. I’m going to make your transition as seamless as possible. Then I’m going to be an asshole,”</p>
<p>He looked up at her, dark brown eyes studying her carefully. It was silent for a moment before he spoke again: “You’re a strange one,”</p>
<p>They shrugged again, lips pursed into a thin smile. “Must be,”</p>
<p>A tug on her sleeve pulled her attention away and she turned to Blank. He didn’t meet his gaze as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. His fingers toyed with the stuffed narwhal he held, his hands shaking, knuckles white from the strength of his grip.</p>
<p>“You want that?”</p>
<p>Blank nodded. He bit his lip and took a step back, mouth opening to apologize when they didn’t immediately reply. “I-”</p>
<p>“It’s adorable,” y/n said with a smile. They held a hand out towards him. “May I?”</p>
<p>He handed it to them, his fingers immediately going back to toying with his sleeves. He chewed his lip as he watched them check the price, humming thoughtfully to themselves. They looked up to the store ceiling, counting off on their fingers as the mother a couple of words. </p>
<p>Y/n nodded once and gave it back to him with a smile. “You can go grab a second one if you want,”</p>
<p>Blank immediately hugged the narwhal close to his chest. It took a moment for him to process the words before he blinked up at them. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Go on,” they said, nodding in the direction from whence he came. “Meet me at the cash,”</p>
<p>Blank’s lips twitched upwards, the movement so small it was unnoticeable from an outside perspective. But he could feel it, the unfamiliar strain on unused muscles. He was smiling. Not enough for anyone to notice, but he was smiling. Just as soon as it came it was gone, taking the accompanying flutter with it. He muttered a myriad of thanks before heading off once more.</p>
<p>Y/n made their way over to the front of the store, a few books balanced on one hand as they dug through the bag of clothes for their wallet.</p>
<p> Dark took their books from them, adding them to his own. “Let me,”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” They smiled up at him as they came to a stop in the back of the line. </p>
<p>Y/n had just found their wallet when they were called to pay and a voice sounded from behind them:</p>
<p>“I want this,”</p>
<p>They turned to Anti, brow raised. They looked down at the item he held in his hands and shook their head. “No,”</p>
<p>“Why the fuck not? You’re letting everyone else get something!”</p>
<p>“Okay, first of all: watch your language. We’re in public,” they snapped. “Secondly: A stack of books and a couple stuffed animals are a lot less expensive than a laptop,”</p>
<p>He huffed. “Well it’s the only thing in this entire store that’s remotely interesting,”</p>
<p>“We can go somewhere else, get you something a little less expensive,” y/n said. They offered Blank a small smile as he reappeared, now clutching his narwhal and an octopus to his chest. He placed them on the counter, chewing his nails as he watched the cashier scan the tags. They turned back to Anti and let out a short sigh. </p>
<p>“Is that everything?” the woman behind the counter asked.</p>
<p>“Yes,”</p>
<p>“No,”</p>
<p>Y/n and Anti spoke in sync. </p>
<p>Anti grinned, his eyes gleaming brighter as /n rolled their eyes and took the iPad from his hand. They handed it to the cashier and offered her a small smile as they said: “I don’t want this,”</p>
<p>The cashier raised her brow as she glanced between them. Her gaze lingered on Anti who was muttering a plethora of curses under his breath and fixing y/n with a glare which they promptly ignored. She huffed, muttering something about how she just wanted to go on her break.</p>
<p>Y/n offered her an apologetic smile as they paid. They took the bag, wishing them a nice day before exiting the store.</p>
<p>They fished through their pockets and retrieved their keys. They tossed them to Dark who caught them with ease, a questioning brow raised.</p>
<p>“You and Blank already have everything, you can head back,” y/n said. “Do you remember the way back?”</p>
<p>There was a flicker of red and blue as an indignant expression crossed over his face. “Of course,”</p>
<p>“I’m going to get Anti whatever the hell it is that he wants,” they said, linking their arm with the green-haired demon. They turned heel and began dragging him off, waving to the others from over their shoulder. “See you whenever,”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Y/n and Anti had been walking around for about fifteen minutes with no luck, though not for lack of trying. At least, not on y/n’s part. They listed the different stores, explaining what he could get there. Anti, on the other hand, kept his arms crossed as he followed behind her. He was growling a series of creative curses under his breath, muttering about the iPad and how unfair they were and how easily he could kill them.</p>
<p>“If you keep whining, Anti, I’m not going to get you anything,” y/n called to him over their shoulder. “You can be a bitch with nothing or you can be a bitch with something. Make your choice,”</p>
<p>“Fuck you,” he muttered.</p>
<p>“No thank you,” they replied. “What do you want?”</p>
<p>His gaze dropped to the floor as he mumbled something indiscernible under his breath.</p>
<p>Y/n frowned and took a step closer to him. “Pardon?”</p>
<p>Anti looked up. His eyes locked with theirs for a moment before darting away. “Yarn and needles,”</p>
<p>“There’s an art store not far from here. If you can’t find something you like there I’m pretty sure there's a knitting place a block or two away,” they said as they began to lead him in what he assumed to be the direction of the store.</p>
<p>Anti hummed, eyes narrowing slightly.</p>
<p>“So you knit?”</p>
<p>He huffed, his crossed arms tightening. “Crochet,”</p>
<p>“Oh cool! I’ve always wanted to learn to crochet. Maybe you could teach me,”</p>
<p>“Not a chance in hell,”</p>
<p>They laughed, a crooked smile playing on their lips as they shrugged. “Eh, it was worth a shot,”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There's probably going to be a number of chapters until the next block of egos show up. I'm still trying to figure out how many there will be and who to put with who- I want to explore different dynamics and such. But if you've any ideas, or egos you just want to see sooner rather than later, by all means, be my guest. I'll do my best to incorporate them.</p>
<p>There's a number of things I've got in store that I'm pretty stoked for and I hope you'll enjoy them as well. </p>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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